Millville school district has major plans to upgrade athletic facilities
MILLVILLE – The Thunderbolts are looking for some new turf to defend.
The Millville school district has unveiled plans for an all-purpose artificial grass field and new track at Wheaton Field’s John Barbose Stadium.
The project also includes a proposal for a new field house on the Memorial High School campus.
“Our facilities are a little outdated and we need to catch up,” Millville superintendent Tony Trongone said.
“Millville is about sports. And when kids are involved in sports, they do better in school. Our kids need this and they deserve it.”
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According to Trongone, the plan has construction on the turf field and track beginning in the spring of 2023. The cost would be around $5 million and include an iron fence around the facility and new ticket booth building.
Count former Millville athletic director and legendary football coach Tony Surace as one of the project’s biggest fans.
“We’re getting to it late, but at least we’re having the party,” Surace said.
“We’ve never had a plan like this and that’s a credit to (Trongone). It’s always been a Band-Aid to fix a problem. Not this one. This is absolutely gorgeous.”
The turf field will be utilized by several of the high school athletic programs including soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, but it’s the football team that could really benefit from the fast surface.
“Put that team on turf, with that speed, I would like to coach that team,” said Surace, who laughed when asked if he was going to apply for the open head coach position.
The multi-purpose turf field would be a major plus since the $143 million renovation of the high school eliminated two of the athletic fields on the campus.
“It’s not an added luxury, it’s a necessity to maintain and grow our programs,” Millville athletic director Dave LaGamba said. “It’s important to our athletes, our high school and our city.”
Millville’s athletics program took a big step forward last year with the opening of its new gymnasium and weight room as part of the high school's renovation.
The field house could be the real game changer.
The plan is to have a 50-yard turf field, a two-lane track and other amenities including team rooms. The building, which would also have access for the school’s marching band and community events, would be alongside the football field in the back of the complex, just off E Street.
Trongone said Millville’s field house would mirror the one Pennsauken built several years ago. The district would have to raise money for the project, which would cost more than field and track and would need to be completed in different phases over several years.
Pennsauken athletic director Billy Snyder said the field house is a huge hit with the students, but also with the parents and alumni, too.
“It’s changed the perception. It gives our kids the opportunity to be on a level on where they feel they belong and can compete,” he said.
Synder said the facility has more than doubled the indoor capacity for athletics and is used by every program except basketball and volleyball. It also gives the school another area for physical education classes.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Millville school district has major plans to upgrade athletic facilities
